Turned down for a payrise? What is your next move?

UK office workers are the most likely to look for a new job if their request for a payrise is turned down.

According to new research, a quarter of employees in the United Kingdom would seek alternative employment if their boss said no to a higher salary.

While only 11 per cent of employees in Germany and Belgium, 10 per cent in the Netherlands and five per cent in France would look for another job.

Specialist recruitment firm Robert Half found that just over a third (36 per cent) of UK employees would wait for the next performance review for a salary increase, compared to 62 per cent staff in France, 52 per cent of employees in Germany, 43 per cent in the Netherlands and 40 per cent in Belgium doing the same.

One strategy that employees can use to secure a result even when a higher salary is refused is to request something else, such as a different role, more company perks or share options.

Yet UK workers are only slightly more likely to ask for alternative rewards (27 per cent) than they are to look for another role (24 per cent).

Phil Sheridan, managing director, Robert Half UK said: “There can be many factors behind an employer’s decision not to award a payrise, including the economic cycle of the business or the need to do a complete performance review of all employees rather than one individual.

“It is worth considering the other aspects of your remuneration package, whether that’s more flexible hours, additional annual leave days or a sideways move into a role that will gain you more experience as these options could be just as rewarding.

“From an employer’s point of view, it’s important to keep a regular eye on salary and other remuneration trends to ensure that your top performers are being rewarded in line with industry benchmarks.”

He added: “Reviewing your employee’s remuneration package alongside their career development and potential progression within the business will support retention efforts.”